Since graduating in 2006, educational studies and English double major Elise Albrecht turned her passion into her career. She is teaching elementary school students at the Howard School in Atlanta, igniting their curiosity and opening them to the wonders of the world.
Her work has been recognized with a grant from the Loveday Foundation with a $1,000 innovation grant. Albrecht was one of only three teachers in Georgia to win the prestigious Loveday Innovation Grant.
Albrecht will use the grant to help students learn about bats and to build a bat habitat. Students will create, design, and repurpose materials to create sustainable housing for the Indiana Bat, which is currently identified as endangered in Georgia by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
The idea sprang from the book “Crenshaw,” by Katherine Applegate, in which the main character wants to be an animal scientist.
The project will be directed by Albrecht’s students themselves. They will collaborate with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to learn about bats and their habitats.
“Students will use their designs to build additions to the benevolent bat’s natural habitat that will help it survive and thrive in Georgia,” says Albrecht.
“Students in my classroom also have a range of language-based learning differences,” she adds.
“This team-based, inquiry project will also give them multiple modes and opportunities to demonstrate their progress with expressive and receptive language. Students will work with the team of teachers to acquire and apply new vocabulary in discussion, reading, and writing settings. In addition, our 12 students work with two different classes as ‘reading buddies’ at the school.”
“Throughout this project, our reading buddies will help us generate ideas, receive relevant feedback, and ultimately collaborate with us to enhance the viability of our designs.
“Students can also learn how to use different
technologies from other classes and students, or have the opportunity to teach other classes about technology they have been using.
“Lastly, students will share their projects in a movie to share at our weekly lower school meeting, in which all lower school students participate.”